California cuts grass watering down as drought dries West

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Grass in office parks, on college campuses or in some California neighborhoods will go brown this summer after state water officials adopted a ban Tuesday on watering certain green spaces as the state's drought drags on. The ban adopted by the State Water...

Officials: Florida panther killed

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — An endangered Florida panther has died. It’s the 17th panther death recorded this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The cause of death wasn't immediately known. The remains of the 5-month-old female...

EXPLAINER: How cities in the West have water amid drought

As drought and climate change tighten their grip on the American West, the sight of fountains, swimming pools, gardens and golf courses in cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Boise, and Albuquerque can be jarring at first glance. Western water experts,...

Californians could see mandatory water cuts amid drought

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Monday to impose mandatory water restrictions if residents don't use less on their own as a drought drags on and the hotter summer months approach. Newsom raised that possibility in a meeting with representatives...

Californian governor: Drought is deepening, residents must conserve more or state may enact mandatory water restrictions

Wolf's environmental protection secretary to depart agency

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A cabinet secretary who helped shepherd Pennsylvania's entry into a regional carbon pricing program to combat climate change is leaving the administration of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The governor said Monday that Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick...

Security concerns, lack of support stall Africa's Green Wall

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — A series of complex challenges, including a lack of funding and political will as well as rising insecurity linked to extremist groups al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Burkina Faso, are obstructing progress on Africa's Great Green Wall, according to experts...

Priceless seeds, sprouts key to US West's post-fire future

A New Mexico facility where researchers work to restore forests devastated by fires faced an almost cruelly ironic threat: The largest wildfire burning in the U.S. was fast approaching. Owen Burney and his team knew they had to save what they could. Atop their list was a priceless...

‘Ghost boat’ rides the waters of a troubled former lake

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Drivers on the Beltline in West Raleigh may catch a glimpse of two people fishing from a boat, mouths agape, seemingly celebrating the catch one of them is pulling in. It’s a peaceful scene, except that the two people, and the fish, are skeletons, and the...

Tucson may forego some water to help keep Lake Mead level up

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona's second most populous city has signaled it may forego part of its allotment of Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project aqueduct in order to help forestall a shortage declaration for Lake Mead that would trigger mandatory reductions. ...